Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rookie's Destiny
by Runo Wolfwood
Summary: Eevee stutters when he's nervous. He sniffles in the cold. He never wants to evolve and is fine if his ordinary life as a guild apprentice is to remain the same as it has always been. But when a routine delivery job goes wrong and his teammates are placed in mortal danger, Eevee is embroiled in a conspiracy and forced to decide if he is truly happy being a nobody.
1. Pursuit

"Come on, he's catching up!" came the desperate cry as the wind howled like a wounded animal frantic for solace from the pain.

"I know. I know!" They broke out of the cover of the trees and into an open field. Puffing for air with his lungs burning, Eevee staggered after his partner who was up ahead flattening the vegetation for him. Behind them, they could hear their pursuer roar, the force of it making the ground tremble. High above, coal-black clouds swelled with the rumble of sleeping giants as the rain began to fall. "Charmeleon!" The fox panted. "I don't think-" He hacked for breath, coughing. He tripped and tottered for balance.

"You can and you will!" The fire Pokemon turned around and cursed when he saw the state his partner was in. He hurried over to him, staring over the smaller Pokemon's head as he narrowed his eyes and judged the distance between them and what they were running away from. His eyes widened. Another roar sounded off. Growling, he picked up Eevee, slung him under one arm and doubled his pace. "Don't worry," Charmeleon muttered, sweeping a hand out here and then, claws cutting up the stalks, feet tripping as he half-jogged, half-stumbled. His head buried against the larger Pokemon's shoulder, Eevee could hear the hissing of rain droplets splashing onto his flaming tail to rise away as steam. "Swellow managed to escape," Charmeleon gasped. "He'll get help. I'm sure of it."

Another roar came from behind them. Eevee looked back as lightning flashed and caught a glimpse of their chaser moving in full pelt. It was tall, thick in the shoulder and faster than anything of its size should be for it was swiftly gaining on them.

 _We aren't going to make it_ , he thought. Charmeleon told him to shut up, and he realized he had said that out loud. But it was true. They both knew it. He knew they should have holed up somewhere for the night, knew they shouldn't have taken the risk of night-time travel, knew he shouldn't have tried to persuade Gothitelle to let him go with the team for this job. What was he thinking? He's still just a guild apprentice!

"Blast it," Charmeleon snarled as he skidded to a halt, and Eevee realized that they were now back in the cover of the trees. Charmeleon turned one way and then another, frantic, and then he made a sound of approval and stomped over to a nearby trunk.

"What are you doing?" Eevee asked.

"Improvising." Charmeleon adjusted Eevee in his claws and lifted him up high so that he could see what the other Pokemon was looking at. The trunk had a hole in it, dusty and filled with cobwebs. "It might be a bit of a tight fit," Charmeleon said. "But you should be fine. Wait until the coast is clear, and then go on ahead." Another roar came from behind them. "Hurry! No time to argue!"

Eevee leapt from Charmeleon's grip and into the hole. He fell short, but his paws found purchase and with an upward push from the fire type he scrambled up and slipped into the interior of the tree. Falling inside, he landed on burrs, twigs and an old acorn left by a former resident. "What about you?" Eevee shouted as he scrambled up.

"I'll manage!" Charmeleon stuck his hand inside and dropped a pouch at Eevee's feet. "Remember, get the delivery to him intact! If Swellow doesn't meet you there, look for a rescue team and come find me at the Dark Woods!" Lightning flashed, and before Charmeleon turned his head away, Eevee saw the brief flash of panic in the Pokemon's eyes which he had managed to hide up till now. Charmeleon stiffened, and then he was snarling in pain. Eevee couldn't see what had happened, what had hit him, but he could hear the whistling of something sharp being thrown through the air. Charmeleon cursed and then he was off again, crashing through the undergrowth.

Eevee pulled himself away from the hole as the silhouette of his and Charmeleon's pursuer passed by, close to the point that Eevee almost mistook his roar for the thunder, his footsteps for tremors. He huddled down as he heard the storm swell in intensity. From the sounds of it and the way his tree shook, it was going to be a big one, and the night a long one.

Eevee pulled the pouch towards himself. Whoever it was that was chasing him and Charmeleon might want this, wanted what was inside which even Eevee himself did not know. Eevee would look inside, but Charmeleon had said that it violated the client's trust in them. Sighing, Eevee closed his eyes and knew from the rapid beating of his heart that he was too frightened to lay down here and regain his breath, too frightened to go outside and try his luck in the rain. But one way or another, he had to go back out there into the storm. Charmeleon and Swellow were both counting on him to complete the mission.

He waited another minute. He told himself it was just to be safe, but in reality, he needed it to work up the courage.

Pouch in his mouth, he poked his head out of the tree hole and immediately felt the lash of the hard rain on his fur. By the time he got himself completely out and onto a branch he was already soaked. Teetering upon it with his precarious footing, he looked down and gulped. The fall wasn't high to injure, but it was going to be a painful nonetheless.

He screwed his eyes shut and let himself drop.

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed as he hit the ground and felt the shock run up all the way from his feet to his spine. He fell forward, dropping the pouch. Gritting his teeth and attempting to work through the pain, he picked himself up.

Then he saw it.

It glowed. It shone. It looked like a medallion and it hung from a loop of cord, and Eevee had to shade his eyes to see it. This was the first time that he was able to see it. Up till now, it had always remained inside the pouch, and Charmeleon had made it clear that it was to stay that way until it reached its intended.

Eevee leaned forward and touched the medallion with a paw and gasped at how cold it felt. He nudged it back inside the pouch. When the glow was completely blanketed by the thick fabric of the bag, the fox felt a strange sense of sorrow.

He pushed it aside and picked up the pouch again. He wondered if he should have just waited for daylight in the tree, for going out in these conditions may result in him putting even more distance between him and his destination. He pushed that thought away as quickly as it came. He had to take the chance to get help to Charmeleon as soon as possible, and if he could find a road, a sign, he could be pointed in the right direction.

Struggling with his thoughts, he tripped into a puddle, soaking his fur.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **Will be updated every Wednesday. Thank you for reading.**


	2. Breakfast

The morning was bright and blue, and it found a bedraggled and damp Eevee staggering from the dirt road up a paved path to stand before a house's front door. He urgently scratched at the wood with his paws, dropping the pouch beside him as he did so. "Hello? Is anybody home?" He called out as his belly rumbled and his body shivered. "Somebody?" The fox pressed his ear to the door and listened. "Please! It's an emergency!"

Slow, heavy footsteps from the other side of the door. Eevee pulled himself away from the door and hopped off the front step, and just in time, for as he did so the door blurred open, nearly hitting him as he was buffeted with the angry cries of the owner of the house.

"If I told you once, I told you a thousand times! I will not buy your Orbs no matter how many times you tell me they work outside dungeons! I will not subscribe to your newsletter! I will not listen to the story of-" The Pokemon halted in mid-sentence as he finally noticed the Eevee. The Pokemon was wearing spectacles and brandishing a walking stick. "Oh? You're not one of them gospel folks, are you?" He asked suspiciously, now longer scowling but frowning, which was difficult to tell given the fact that he and his kind always looked mighty peeved about something, what with the veins prominently swelling on his forehead.

Eevee got to his feet. "Primeape! I need your help!" His stomach growled, and he sniffed despite himself, smelling beyond the other Pokemon the scent of breakfast.

Primeape shook his head in frustration. "Does this place look like a charity, kid?" He roughly gestured with his walking stick. "Go on. Shoo. I just woke up and I do not need this right now! You think you can just come up here willy-nilly and go banging on my door!"

"I'm not a kid!"

"And I'm not getting any younger! I said shoo! Good day!" Primeape hopped back and reached for the doorknob.

Eevee pulled himself up, indignant. "I'm a member of a Pokemon Team! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important!"

Primeape paused at that. He looked at Eevee more closely, and noticed his soaked red scarf for the first time. "Oh? And where's your partner? Where's your badge?" He furrowed his brow even more as he scrutinized the fox's appearance, and then noticed the pouch sitting beside him. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"Please," Eevee stuttered. "Can I come inside? I'll explain everything."

"You can say what you want to say just fine out here," Primeape snapped. He hesitated as Eevee's stomach growled again, and then slowly but surely, he lowered his head and sighed. "Alright, alright. Before I change my mind."

"Thank you sir!"

Primeape rolled his eyes up, as Eevee picked up the pouch with his teeth and scratched at the mat to get the mud off his paws before barreling past him, no doubt in the direction of the food. "I swear I'm getting soft," he muttered to himself. He turned and closed the door behind him. "If anything goes missing," he barked. "I'll know who it was!"

Eevee stiffened as he admired the décor, standing in the hallway to take it all in before being led along by Primeape, he glanced at each of the adjoining rooms as they passed by them: the living room, the study, the bedroom and then finally the kitchen, with another door leading out to the back. From the outside, the house looked battered, as if it was all thrown together in one night, wood and bricks and all. The interior was a somewhat different story. For one, it had more space than Eevee would have dared to guess, and two, in comparison to its owner's aged, scruffy appearance, it looked grand. Most of the furniture looked polished and spit-shined. On the way in, he saw a peg near the front door for Primeape's walking stick, and a stand with hangers for his various hats. There was a fireplace and a rocking chair in the living room, and as he was led into the kitchen, he could have sworn he saw some stairs tucked in the corner on the other side of the corridor.

"Sir," Eevee said. "Shouldn't we-"

"Whatever it is, it can wait till I've had my tea," Primeape snapped, swiftly hobbling along to where the kettle sat with steam billowing. He tossed a towel onto the table. "Take a seat and dry yourself up. I'll be with you in a few minutes."

"But I-"

"You're in my house now and you'll soon be eating my food. The least you can do in return is obey my instructions."

Eevee did as he was told, padding over to a little stool which he nudged along with his nose to the table and pulled himself up onto, dropping the pouch onto the table. He pulled the towel towards himself and proceeded to clumsily and hurriedly wiped himself down. As he did so, he looked around the place, tail waving anxiously. There was no time to waste. Every minute that passed could mean the difference in saving Charmeleon.

So when time passed, Eevee listening as Primeape rummaged around the kitchen, grumbling to himself as he muttered something about, Eevee found himself fidgeting, constantly on edge as he wondered if he should have pushed instead of giving in.

"There we go." Primeape laid down two plates heaped with food, along with a cup filled with tea for himself and a bowl of the same for Eevee. He carefully placed his walking stick aside before gingerly sitting himself into his chair. "Eat up while it's still hot."

Eevee looked at him and then down at his dish. Vegetables. Lots of vegetables. He met Primeape's eye, who impatiently urged him to get started with a gesture, and without further word started eating before he somehow offended him.

"Do you like it?" Primeape asked between mouthfuls.

"Mm-hmm!"

"Good."

And that was all the conversation that passed for breakfast.

"Now then," Primeape announced, pushing his plate away when they were both done. Eevee had finished before him, and had waited for him with exasperation. "What seems to be the problem?" The fighting-type asked as he slapped his hands together, getting right down to business.

"This." Eevee picked up the pouch and tossed it with a flick of his head so that it landed lightly in between their plates. Something rattled inside. Primeape froze, and slowly but steadily reached out and pulled the pouch towards him. "It's for you," Eevee added quickly as the old fighting-type dug a hand inside, for a moment hoping that he'd pull the medallion out so that they could both see it together and watch how it glowed so bright, too bright, for anything made of metal. "Charmeleon – my partner – told me it was for your eyes only."

"Did he?" Primeape murmured. The monkey stiffened, and then withdrew his hand from the pouch, making every attempt to pretend that he wasn't mystified by what he had touched inside. "Where is he now?"

The fox lost his patience. "He's in trouble and he needs a rescue team!"

Primeape shot out of his seat. "Why didn't you say so before?" He shouted snatching up his walking stick. "We must make all haste!"

"You wouldn't let me get a word in!" Eevee protested as he leapt off his seat and hurried after the elderly monkey, who was making a beeline for the door with all the vigor of a younger, spryer Pokemon. "Hey, wait for me! Where are we going to find a rescue team?"


	3. Hypnosis

The trouble began several days ago. It might have begun even earlier, for others, but for Charmeleon and Eevee, it began right then.

The flame Pokemon tried to contain his frustration and disappointment as the guild leader gently pushed the pouch from her side of her desk over to his side. It wasn't hard. He'd been expecting something like this to happen. He'd heard of it happening before, to members of Pokéteams guild that were considered too valuable to be dismissed and have their badge revoked, but too dangerous to be trusted with high-risk rescue and exploration missions, that they may cause the loss of an entire team.

Still, that didn't make this easy either. Nothing had been easy after the tribunal passed sentence on him a month ago. He had worked himself to the bone doing the menial work of apprentices, endured the silent humiliation and promised himself that things would look up so long as he showed everyone that he had learned his lesson.

And this was the result of it all.

"I know this may seem like an insult," Gothitelle continued smoothly, her gaze fixed upon him unblinkingly. "But let me assure you that this is far from what it looks like."

The fire-type shook his head. "No, I understand. This is all the guild is willing to trust me with now." He sighed and prodded at the pouch with the tip of a claw in curiosity. "So this is just a routine delivery?" _An errand even a child could do? A mockery of all that I have gone through up to this point?_

"That's one part of the assignment, yes."

Charmeleon hesitated at that. Something in Gothitelle's tone and her posture had shifted just then. "And the other?"

Gothitelle stood up from her stool and walked around the desk. "Come with me," she ordered, leaving her room.

They went outside onto the guild's training grounds. It was a yard behind the building that was the guild's home and centre of operations, where the members sparred with each other to in order to gain the endurance necessary to last through the long gruelling journeys of Mystery Dungeons.

And there were members sparring right then. Charmeleon could hear the sounds of dust being kicked up as Pokemon feinted and lunged at each other, a vine whip cracking in the air as a Shiftry gave the signal for a bout to end. The fire-type scanned the yard, letting his gaze pass over familiar faces, watching as every colleague and friend refused to meet his eye, without exception. _Like I have a sickness that they would catch if they were to as so much as look as me._

 _Of course, I know exactly what the sickness is._

"Shiftry!" Gothitelle called out as she spotted the Pokemon who she was looking for. "Mind if I have a word with you?"

 _It's disgrace._

Charmeleon pulled up behind Gothitelle as the psychic-type greeted the instructor of the apprentices. "How are things, Shiftry?" Gothitelle asked as she inspected them for herself.

"Things are progressing, to say the least," Shiftry answered.

Gothitelle nodded in thought. "Good. Very good." She cut straight to the point, and Charmeleon noticed that she lowered her voice as she did so. "Remember that talk we had the other day? I was wondering if we could see him right now."

Despite himself, Shiftry glanced over Gothitelle's shoulder and met Charmeleon's gaze. The grass-type narrowed his eyes and the fire-type did the same. _You have something you want to say to me? Spit it out or swallow it down. Don't test me._

Shiftry blinked. "Eevee!" he turned around and called out. "Come over here."

Charmeleon watched as the normal-type stepped out of the crowd of apprentices lined up around a sparring circle on the ground that was drawn with a stick. As he came over to them, the little Pokemon's ears twitched as their owner tried not to make them go flat, lest he gave away his nervousness and confusion. _Something I can understand, because I am just as troubled as he is right now._

"Eevee," Gothitelle greeted warmly, leaning low so the other Pokemon would not have to crane his neck all the way up to look at her. "I trust that you are well?"

Eevee nodded but said nothing. Charmeleon resisted the urge to snort as he realized that the little fox's paws were trembling ever so slightly.

"Speak up, Eevee," Shiftry snapped. "The guild leader has asked you a question."

Eevee stiffened. "Yes, Gothitelle," he stammered out. "I've been well."

Gothitelle smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. Eevee, I take it you already know Charmeleon here?"

Eevee looked at Charmeleon. "Yes," he stuttered quickly. "I know of him."

The fire-type resisted the urge to snort. The question had been asked out of politeness and nothing less. _Of course he's heard of me. It'd be a miracle and a half if I ever meet someone from this city that doesn't know of me and my crimes._

"Then you know of what he has done, correct?" Gothitelle asked.

"Yes."

 _Incompetence._

"So what are your thoughts on the matter?"

 _Arson._

"Well…I think everyone deserves a second chance."

 _Murder_.

"Thank you, Eevee," Gothitelle said. "That'll be all."

Charmeleon watched as the fox shuffled back amongst the other apprentices. Then Gothitelle tapped him on the shoulder and led him back inside.

"What was that all about?" he asked as he and Gothitelle returned to her room, to her desk and back to the matter at hand.

Gothitelle ignored the question. Walking behind her desk, only to pace back and forth instead of returning to her seat, it was then that Charmeleon realized what it was that Gothitelle was hiding.

She was on edge. She was worried.

"The other apprentices give that Eevee a hard time," she said instead. "Did you know that?" She didn't wait for Charmeleon to answer. "I do my best to shield him from them, but it's difficult what with my duties and my position." She was speaking rapidly, as if she had been in a need to unburden these words of her. "I can't be seen to be currying favouritism, so when I know that they pull out his bedding, steal his food and hide his belongings, I have to pretend to look the other way, because every group of apprentices has that one little furball that's at the bottom of the pecking order, and it just so happens that Eevee is the case here."

"Well, you did him no favours back there," Charmeleon remarked. "Singling him out like that and putting him on the spot."

Gothitelle nodded. "I know. I didn't do it for his benefit. I was doing it for yours."

"Mine?"

"Yes, yours. I wanted you to see what you make of him? So what's your verdict?"

"He's got a lot of heart," Charmeleon answered. _Not a lot of courage though. Or enough brains to realize that saying what he said in front of all the Pokemon who think otherwise is not going to do him any credit. Should have just condemned me like the rest of them instead of speaking his mind._ "A lot of honesty too."

"You think he's naïve?"

"Sure.I still fail to see what he has to do with me."

"He's going with you for the delivery."

Charmeleon froze at that. "Why?"

"Because he's been in this city since the day he was born, and it's past time that he sees a little of what the world has to offer him out there. Because it'll give him some respite from what his classmates put him through, and it may even allow him some space to grow." Gothitelle finally sat down. "Because you're right," she continued. "This delivery job is an insult to your exploits, which is why when you're out there with him, you're going to be completing another task for me."

The blood drained from Charmeleon's face. "You want me to mentor him," the fire-type whispered hoarsely.

Gothitelle clapped once. "Precisely. Consider it as part of your sentence, you doing your best to help the next generation of Pokemon."

"I won't do it."

There was a long, ugly silence.

"Why," Gothitelle said slowly, and with puzzlement, "Is that the case?"

"Because that's not all there is to this job, is there?" Charmeleon prodded at the pouch that laid in between them. "Like what's in here, for example. You still haven't told me what I am to be delivering. The funny thing is that this job can easily be done by bird, and yet, you would have me believe that you'd have me and an apprentice do this under the pretense of some mentoring gig? Do you take me for a fool?"

Gothitelle paused. "It is not my intention to mislead you. I only seek to tell you what you need to know, and what you need to know about what's in that pouch," she said. "Is that you do not need to know anything about it at all other than it must be delivered safely to its destination."

"Then we are at a stalemate."

Gothitelle closed her eyes for several long seconds, before coming to a decision. "Alright, but only you can know the details. Not Eevee. Not your third teammate either."

"There'll be a third teammate?"

"Of course. Is that a problem?"

Charmeleon shook his head. "No. No problem at all." _Makes sense, now that I think about it. The tribunal may have decided imprisonment was not necessary despite my transgression, but even so, they needed someone to watch me as I carry out the community service they decreed as part of my punishment._

"Good." Gothitelle took the pouch, undid the knot, and before Charmeleon's eyes, she pulled out what looked like a small medallion attached to a length of string. It had a faint, ethereal glow to it, such that it almost seemed like a mirage, and for the briefest moment, Charmeleon believed it to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "This," the psychic-type said, watching him closely, "is the parcel. Do you recognize it?"

Charmeleon shook his head. "What is it?"

"It's an important piece of a puzzle." Gothitelle held it up higher, so that it swung to and fro like a pendulum on a clock. "A puzzle that certain…Pokemon are trying to solve," she added in a contemplative tone. "I myself, I'm afraid, know little more than that for certain, but I do have my own theories on the matter, which is why I have decided that this piece of the puzzle needs to be kept out of those Pokemon's grasp. You see it is my belief that if they were to get ahold of this little trinket they would…"

Charmeleon's head grew heavy and his eyesight grew dim as he watched the medallion lazily swing, its glow so bright that his eyelids were starting to drift shut. Gothitelle's words grew faint in his mind as they faded into the background, their meaning unclear as the sound of her voice, which was oddly soothing, lulled him into drowsiness.

 _I've been working too hard these past few weeks. I need to lie down after this. Have some time to myself. It's been a while since I've had a good sleep. A good sleep would do me good. Much good. Good rest is good for the body. Good rest is good for the body. Good body is good for rest. Rest is good for body. For body good is rest. Good bodyguard must rest. Good bodyguard. Good guard. Good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good-_

"Good enough for you?" Gothitelle asked.

Charmeleon blinked. "Sorry?" He asked, shaking his head and reaching up to rub his eyes. He looked at Gothitelle's desk. The pouch was closed. He tried to remember what was in it.

He couldn't remember. But that was alright. It wasn't important. All that was important was what Gothitelle was saying.

The psychic-type sighed. "I said, is that a good enough explanation for you?" She asked.

Charmeleon didn't know why, but he found himself nodding. "Yes. I understand perfectly."

"Good, so what is it that you're going to do?"

The fire-type frowned, and then the words came to him unbidden, pouring out of his mouth as if he had known them for his entire life. "Never open the pouch," he recited. "Do not let Eevee or the third teammate know what is inside the pouch. Ensure pouch reaches client."

Gothitelle nodded. "What's in the pouch?"

Pain flared somewhere deep within Charmeleon's skull. He grimaced and resisted the urge to grab his head with his claws. "Nothing I need to know. It just has to be delivered." The pain swelled higher and higher like a tidal wave, to the point that it was as if someone was driving a spike through his eye. "Delivered to the Primeape," the lizard added quickly, hearing himself groan as the agony built up. "Along with the Eevee."

And in that moment, the tidal wave collapsed back into the ocean, and the ocean stilled itself to calmness.

Gothitelle smiled and clapped her hands. "Excellent. I knew I could count on you."

* * *

 **Till next week.**


	4. Team Blitz

"Gothitelle is sending you with him because she knows no-one will miss you if the lizard decides to blow that second chance and snap again."

The other apprentices of the Dusk Guild had stopped saying cruel things to Eevee after numerous interventions by the trainers and full-fledged members, and put their efforts into making him feel unwelcome through other methods that were quieter but no kinder. Yet, when the news that the fox would be accompanying the fire Pokemon on his delivery of a mysterious package spread around the guild, they were stirred once again to action as if they had need to be as malicious as they can in order to compensate for the time that Eevee would be away on the road and out of reach from their barbs and pranks.

Nursing his headache, which had gone down to a low throbbing in the back of his skull in the days since his meeting with the psychic guild leader, Charmeleon stopped outside the apprentices' dorm room to see Eevee bunched up against the wall by several other apprentices. The fox had been given with no means of escape short of physically breaking through their ranks, and judging by his ears having gone flat and his fur pelt bristling, he might be only another insult away from doing just that.

"It's true. She doesn't want you here," a Snubbull was adding. "You've been nothing but a burden to her, ever since your parents left you here-"

"There you are, Eevee," Charmeleon said, projecting his voice like the trainers did when they wanted everyone's attention. "I've been looking all over for you." All the apprentices as one looked towards him in surprise, and as he watched, their shock at his appearance was quickly covered with blankness, defensiveness or distaste at the sight of him. But the fire-type was taller than them, older than them and seen things as a former member of a gold ranked Pokemon Team that none of them would begin to see for at least another year, so he stepped into the room and waded in amongst them, shouldering them out of the way and listening as they dispersed from the room with grumbles and mutters.

Charmeleon deliberately met the Snubbull's gaze as the fairy-type gave him space, not saying anything, but nonetheless making it clear that he had heard. The Snubbull stared back for a moment and then broke eye contact, and Charmeleon returned his attention to Eevee, considering the matter at an end. "So I guess we'll be heading out tomorrow," the fire-type said quietly to the fox when they were only two left in the room.

Eevee nodded but kept looking at the doorway behind Charmeleon, and the fire-type realized that pretending that what happened hadn't happened just wasn't going to work. He sighed. He had never been especially good with kids.

"Gothitelle isn't trying to get rid of you."

"I know."

"Do they all give you trouble?"

Eevee shook his head. "No. Some of them just do it because they're bored, and some do it because if they don't, they'll get trouble instead of me."

"So you've got no-one to back you up?"

"Not really. Better me than them."

Charmeleon made a face of disgust. "Pecking order, huh?" He asked, unsure whether his contempt was for Eevee's tormentors, or Eevee himself for rationalizing, even defending his tormentor's actions.

"Yeah, something like that." Eevee glanced up at the fire-type and smiled, making a poor attempt to perk up. "So what do you think is it that we're delivering?" He asked a little more brightly.

Charmeleon humored the fox. "To be honest, I'm not quite sure myself," he answered, feeling the pain in his head dim a little more even as he spoke. "Gothitelle only said that the Primeape requested that we respect his privacy and not see it. We're probably not going to find out until we hand it over to him."

Eevee's ears twitched. "That's strange," he said slowly. Then he did a little jump in the air as a thought came to him. "Maybe it's something embarrassing," he suggested mischievously. "Like mittens."

The lizard snorted. "Now why would a Primeape need mittens?"

"They always wear gloves, don't they?" Charmeleon nodded and the fox continued. "So it's autumn now. When winter hits, they'd probably need something a lot warmer for the cold. But it'd look really silly on them. That's why he doesn't want us to see it."

Charmeleon nodded. "That makes sense, I suppose."

Eevee returned the nod. "So you wanted to talk to me about something?" He asked when the fire-type didn't say more.

Charmeleon hesitated and then gestured to the doorway. "Let's go outside first."

Outside was dim and chilly. The sun had fallen and guild's namesake was coming fast upon its heels. As the two Pokemon stood outside the twin gates that led into the grounds of the Dusk Guild, the fire-type could feel the flame on his tail being pushed by the breeze even as that same breeze tossed red, brown and orange leaves from the nearby trees up into the wind.

"Do you have parents?" Eevee asked.

Charmeleon shook his head. "Never knew them, same as you." He let his eyes fall upon the Pokemon moving down the street past them on their way home to dinner and sleep, on twos, on fours, or on wings of feather or chitin, their silhouettes stretched long and stark against the ground from the light given off by the many paper lanterns perched above the gates. "Anyway," the fire-type said quietly. "I want to thank you for what you said the other day; about everyone deserving a second chance."

This time it was the fox's turn to shake his head. "It was nothing," he muttered, scratching his paws against the earth self-consciously.

"It was stupid." Charmeleon turned towards Eevee who looked up at that in surprise. "Saying things like that isn't good for you. Speaking your mind in front of everyone like your mind is an open book anyone can just open up. Don't do that again. Hold your thoughts closer to yourself next time. You hear me?"

Eevee's ears flattened as he bristled. "I hear you."

"It's not because you're wrong. But because you said that, you were telling other people who think otherwise that they're wrong. You have to be careful about what you might end up implying even if you didn't mean to."

"Yeah? And how do you know this?" the fox shot back angrily.

"Because I had to figure it out the hard way!"

Eyes turned in their direction as the fire-type shouted. Both Pokemon felt their gaze and fell into an awkward silence. Behind them, back inside the guild, they could hear a Chimecho's bell cry, signalling that dinner was ready for all guild members.

"Look," Charmeleon said, trying again. "I've made mistakes, and since Gothitelle wanted you and me to team up, I just thought I'd offer some advice to help make sure you won't make them too. Okay?"

"Okay."

The fire-type nodded. "That's all I wanted to say. We'll talk more some other time."

Eevee turned to head back inside, before looking back at the lizard who he noticed hadn't made a move to follow him. "You're not coming for dinner?" He asked.

"No, I think I'll stay out here a little longer. Don't worry. I'm not skipping a meal."

"Alright." Eevee hesitated. "Charmeleon?"

The fire-type turned his head. "Yes?"

"Thanks."

There was a blink of the eyes. "For what?"

"For trying to help."

The lizard snorted. "It was nothing," he echoed.

There was one more thing that Eevee had to ask. "Did you really do it? What they all say you did?"

Charmeleon stiffened, and for a moment, Eevee wished he hadn't asked. "Do you trust me?" The fire-type asked.

The fox hesitated. "Sure," he answered, and was surprised that it was the truth.

"Then leave it be." Charmeleon turned away. "See you tomorrow. Don't stay up too late."

* * *

Thoughts of that conservation passed through Eevee's mind as he followed Primeape from his house into Arcadia Village. He understood now that Charmeleon was trying to turn over a new leaf. Still, while they were on the road with Swellow, the third member of their group, Eevee had tried to broach the subject of the fire-type's crime again and again, if only out of a morbid curiosity, only to meet stiff refusal every time.

But this was what he does know from what he put together, from what other Pokemon have said and from what he himself had heard.

About a year ago, Charmeleon had been part of Team Amity, a trio of Pokemon consisting of him, a Snover and their leader Poliwrath. They were recently elevated to a gold ranking and were considered the new rising stars in the business of dungeon exploration and Pokemon rescue missions in the region.

However, there were rumours that the members of Team Amity were experiencing a rift in their relationship as they suddenly went on hiatus shortly thereafter and refused to take any more missions whatsoever. Apparently, Charmeleon and Poliwrath were at odds in regards to the latter's leadership style. Poliwrath had always made sure that the team would only take on the most profitable missions, and it was suspected that he had wanted the three of them to go in a new direction and start pursuing a new avenue of opportunity.

Bounty hunting.

It made sense in a way. Bounties were extremely lucrative, but also extremely dangerous. Many a Pokemon bounty hunter have found themselves biting off a lot more than they can chew, and it is for this reason that very few Pokemon teams would undertake such missions other than cases where the criminal is small-time and known to be hiding in a dungeon, preferring to leave such matters to the police.

So after a while, the rift was resolved, and Team Amity began taking on bounty hunting missions. The first one and only one they took involved catching a rogue Drowzee. The psychic-type was suspected of being responsible for eating the dreams of several Pokemon who had complained of suffering terrible sleep paralysis and daily hallucinations, and the disappearance of a Pichu. Naturally, given the danger posed and the substantial reward of twelve thousand Pokecoins for what was categorized as a difficult Grade A mission, Team Amity rose to the challenge and set out one night to go to Newleaf Woods based upon a tip they were given of Drowzee being sighted there.

The next morning, Pokemon awoke the scent of smoke.

The Newleaf Woods had been set on fire.

After Pokemon rushed to the scene to contain the blaze, they investigated the ruins of the once beautiful forest and home to many Pokemon, and found Charmeleon cradling the burnt husk of Snover with Poliwrath nowhere to be found.

Considering that Charmeleon was a fire-type Pokemon, he was the prime suspect in the investigation that followed. It was known and confirmed by others that not long after that day, Team Amity's bank account was found to be completely empty, no doubt used to make reparations for the incalculable damages, and its records of previously completed missions erased. It had ceased to exist since that incident. A court found Charmeleon guilty, the proceedings all but a formality, but in light of his past exploits, the judges denied the sentence of smothering his flame and instead had him sent to prison, and that was where he had stayed.

Until recently when he was suddenly released and handed back over to Gothitelle of the Dusk Guild as a newly fledged member to be partnered with Eevee to be mentored, and with Swellow as a precaution.

"Primeape, sir," Eevee huffed as the older Pokemon swiftly limped ahead. On both sides of them were many little huts and several pitched tents belonging to merchants. "Where are we going?" The fox's paws were sore from walking the entire night before, the pads scrubbed raw, and he hadn't slept for a day at this point. Only the fear for Charmeleon's safety was what kept him going, and Eevee knew that if he took a moment to rest, he might soon faint, even with the breakfast Primeape had cooked for him.

"We're going to see the mayor." It was early, and few of the villagers were out and about. Even so, Eevee could see a Ponyta pulling a cart further down the street, and up in the sky was a trio of bird Pokemon circling the air as they warmed up their wings for the day.

"The mayor?" Eevee wondered what kind of Pokemon would be in charge of Arcadia Village.

"He's a Slakoth." The monkey snorted. "Has everyone's best interests at heart. Or so he claims. Here we are." He turned into a shack built entirely from stone, consisting of only an entrance and little else. Snoring could be heard. Without a word, the Primeape stepped inside, and Eevee followed him.

The interior was much larger than one would suspect from outside. Eevee attention was immediately drawn to the sloth snoozing away on his bedding in the centre of the room. "Do you think it's alright to wake him up like this?" The fox asked softly. Then he looked at Primeape and stared in horror as the monkey briskly stepped forward and prodded the sloth in the belly.

"Wake up!" The Primeape shouted.

"Wh-what?" Startled, the Slakoth popped open an eye and looked up at Primeape. "You old codger," he said yawn. "Did I oversleep?"

"No, it's early. I have someone who needs to speak to you."

"Oh." Slakoth made a point of rolling over in his bedding and giving both Primeape and Eevee his back. "Well, if it's not important," he said. "It can wait until midday."

Primeape raised an eyebrow. "It _is_ actually quite important, my good mayor, and it can't wait. A Pokemon has gone missing, possibly two if a Swellow hasn't been seen recently last night?"

Slakoth shrugged. "Haven't seen a Swellow, I'm afraid. Been here the whole time last night, catching my shut-eye. Yes, that was what I was doing, and I would like to return to doing just that if you don't mind."

Eevee's heart sank. Swellow had split off from them last night to fly on ahead and find help, and Arcadia Village was the closest place which would have been where he would have started. If he never showed up here, that wasn't good. "Slakoth," he said, stepping forward as Primeape shook his head in disgust. "Both of my fellow team members are likely to have disappeared then, and they were both being pursued by Pokemon out to hurt them. You must put together a rescue team immediately!"

Slakoth yawned and waved the fox off. "Are you sure you were being chased? Maybe your friends just got lost."

"No!" Eevee shouted. "We were definitely being chased! My friends were hurt! This is serious! Charmeleon is waiting for help at the Dark Forest dungeon and that is where we need to go!"

Slakoth snored. He was fast asleep again.

Primeape tapped Eevee on the shoulder with his cane. "Looks like we'll have to make do on our own," he muttered. "Come on." He turned and headed outside.

"So now what?" Eevee asked as they left Slakoth's home and walked back onto the path that ran through Arcadia Village.

Primeape sighed. "I'm not sure. We could put something on the noticeboard and hope a rescue team finds it. But that would take time. Time that your friends may not have."

Eevee felt his ears droop in dejection. He was feeling exhausted and at the end of his rope. He could always go to the Dark Forest on his own, but the Pokemon that had been chasing him and Charmeleon looked very large and certainly sounded so even with the dark and the storm, and Eevee was just an apprentice still, no match for someone as dangerous as their pursuer was.

The fox opened his mouth to suggest they try the noticeboard anyway when he heard the sparkling of electricity behind him.

"Quick! Out of the way!" A voice called. "Police business, coming through!" Eevee barely managed to step out of the way as a pair of Magnemites zipped right past him. Trailing not far behind them was a Pidgey urgently flapping his wings.

"What's going on?" Primeape called out as the bird Pokemon flew towards them.

"Fight in the village square!" Pidgey called back. "Some rescue team is causing a ruckus!"

He flew off. Primeape and Eevee glanced at each other, knowing that the other Pokemon was thinking the exact same thing.

They both took off after the Pidgey and the Magnemites. Eevee felt renewed hope swell in his chest.

This might be just the lucky break that they were looking for.

* * *

"Hey-hey watch where you point those magnets. He's the one who started it!"

"Me? You're one to talk, dung-for-brains!"

"What you call me? You shut your mouth!"

It was worse than they thought. A small crowd was gathering around the drama but no more than that. As Eevee and Primeape reached the village square, they heard the crackling of a thunderbolt and saw a Magnemite retreat into the air, its lone eye rolling around and around and around as it shook off its dizziness.

"Will the both of you keep quiet?" A Magnezone's body sparked in agitation as it circled above the commotion, its sirens wailing loudly. "There's no need to be alarmed," it announced to everyone else in a loud but monotone voice. "We have the situation completely under control!"

"Bite me, fatass!"

"Come a little closer to these teeth then, furball!"

Another Magnemite was sent flying back up in the air, its attempt at using a thunderwave having failed. Eevee squirmed his way to the front in time to see a Shinx tackle a Mawile, knocking back two other Magnemites. Curses and insults flying, the pair barrelled into Eevee, and all the other Pokemon hurriedly backed away with shouts and yells of alarm before they were drawn into the brawl. For a while Eevee's world spun, two voices each yelling in one of his ears as all three of them rolled together on the ground. An elbow pushed into his stomach. A paw smacked him upside one eye. And on and on and on it went, till Eevee began to suspect that his bruises were going to have bruises of their own!

That's when Primeape and Magnezone both ended the fox's ordeal by wading in together and pulling the Mawile and Shinx apart. As they did so, Eevee staggered to his feet and noticed that the Mawile was wearing a blue headband, and that her companion had a rescue badge pinned to his scarf, gold outlined against red.

"Right," Primeape muttered, holding up the Mawile in one hand as the Magnezone restrained the Shinx and beckoned his deputies over. "If you are ready to calm down?"

Mawile huffed in anger at being handled so and pointed a finger at Shinx, who opened his mouth at the same time she did. "He-"

"She-"

"Enough!" Primeape thundered. "Just clamp both your traps shut will you!" He glanced at Eevee for a brief moment, who was at that point shakily getting back to his feet, before studying Shinx and noticing the rescue badge as well. He was quiet for a few seconds. "I have a mind to let Magnezone arrest the both of you for your shameless behaviour," he said carefully. "But as it just so happens, I have a client with me who was hoping you two can help him with a job, a job only a rescue team can handle."

Magnezone bristled sharply at that. "Now wait just a moment here-"

"We'll take it," Shinx said with a scowl. He turned his head, peering around. "Where's the client?" His gaze fell upon Eevee, and his eyes widened as Eevee's narrowed. "Oh." Shinx's ears and tail drooped sheepishly. "Hello."

While Primeape stepped aside with Magnezone to explain the situation to him, and the crowd began to disperse, Mawile and Shinx shuffled over to Eevee, both glaring at each other before glancing over at Eevee with embarrassed expressions. Eevee too was embarrassed. He had hoped for a team with a little more stature, but at this point, he had to take what he could get, and Team Blitz, as the two Pokemon proclaimed to be, were Charmeleon's best hope, as depressing as it might have sound.

"Sorry you had to meet us like this," Shinx said in a low voice after Eevee explained to them what the job was.

"Yeah." Mawile gave Shinx a shove on the shoulder. "You should be. It was all your fault you know."

Shinx rounded on her, hackles raised. "My fault? You were the one who couldn't tell the difference between a heal seed and a stun seed!"

"So why did you eat it?"

"Because," he retorted. "You handed it to me."

"I was testing to see if you would notice!"

"Test it on yourself next time you numbskull!"

"I already told you I'm sorry! What more do you want from me? A kiss?"

"I'd rather kiss the Magnezone!"

"I can arrange that!"

"Please!" Eevee shouted, stopping them before they came to blows again. "Please," he repeated more softly. "You're both forgiven. Can we all get back on track?"

Mawile and Shinx stared at him and glanced at each other to shoot a brief glare promising to continue their vendetta later before returning their gazes to him. "Okay," Mawile answered. "I've never heard of a dungeon called Dark Woods before. Are you sure that's what Charmeleon said?" Eevee nodded. "That settles it then. We'll ask around the village for directions. Hopefully someone knows the way."

Primeape came over, apparently having come to an agreement with Magnezone. "The officer said it will let you two off with a warning, which might I say is quite generous of it considering you resisted arrest and assaulted several of its deputies," he told Mawile and Shinx. He glanced at Eevee. "You know where to go if you need to find me," he grumbled. "I hope, for your friend's sake, that these two are just who you need."

Shinx puffed his chest up. "Don't worry! We're Team Blitz, and we've never let a client down!"

Primeape narrowed his eyes. "Mind I ask you both a question?"

"Of course," Mawile replied, beaming. "Ask away."

"What is your team's rank?"

"Gold of course!" she declared.

Primeape stared at her, veins on his forehead bulging. "Silver," she amended, wilting under his gaze.

Primeape still didn't blink.

"Okay, fine, we're actually just bronze," she admitted, crossing her arms and turning her nose up with not the slightest bit of shame. "But it's not like we're inexperienced, right Shinx?"

"Right!" Shinx turned to Eevee, who the thunder-type decided was a lot less fearsome than an old, grumpy Primeape, and cleared his throat. "Granted, we don't have the ranking of a veteran team," he said more quietly, but with no less confidence. "But we do have completed rescue missions on our team's record, with many hours' worth of dungeon time, and though we may not look it we can be quite handy if it comes down to a fight. I promise you we won't let you down."

Mawile snorted. "I won't," she said with a gesture of her head towards her partner. "Can't say the same about him."

Shinx made a face. "Really? So who was it that forgot to bring the apples last time?"

"Well I wasn't the one who stepped on that warp trap just to see what would happen."

"No, but you were the one who threw a gravelrock at me instead of that Aerodactyl!"

Primeape shook his head in bewilderment as both halves of Team Blitz started to bicker with each other again, and Eevee couldn't help but feel that he had done something he might end up regretting somewhere in the near future.

Even so, one thing was for certain at least.

He's found a rescue team.

* * *

 **Made this chapter a little longer since it's late.**

 **Enjoy the rest of your day!**


	5. Skulking in the Dark

"This should be the place," Mawile announced, hefting a staff over her shoulder with Team Blitz's Treasure Bag tied to the end, which swelled with all the gear packed inside for a dungeon expedition.

Eevee followed her gaze to the entrance to Dark Woods, a gaping dark hole in the undergrowth, big enough for an Ursasing to crawl into. He gulped. It was daylight, and on the way here they could hear the birds tweeting up in the trees and the air and the rustling of the bushes signalling the movement of other Pokemon. Here though, in this deep part of the forest, they had to trek through, the bushes were still and the air was empty of birdsong. The only sounds that could be heard as they passed through were Team Blitz's and his own heavy breathing as their feet and paws trampled over leaves, snapped twigs and kicked over pebbles. "You sure?" He asked nervously, not liking how his voice carried so far even in the silence.

"Sure I'm sure. It was just like that Farfetch'd said." Mawile looked up and glanced around, turning a full circle. "I got to say, your friend really knows how to pick them," she remarked grimly. "If he fainted, he should be out here, but since I see no sign of him, I guess he's still in there. He must have been running around the floors for the entire night."

Shinx snorted at her comment. "On that note, shall we head on in and get him then?" Eevee glanced at him and nodded. Shinx smiled and lightly tapped him on the shoulder with his tail. "Relax. We're going to be fine."

"Shinx will take the lead," Mawile said, shifting her staff. "Eevee will come second and I'll take the rear. Sound good?"

"Only if you can keep up!" Shinx shouted, causing Eevee to flinch at the sudden loudness. Without further word, he bounded into the burrow.

Mawile sighed. "Come on, Eevee. Let's get to work."

Eevee swallowed and hurried in after Shinx.

* * *

 **(Dark Woods F1)**

Eevee blinked. They were in a room. He glanced around. Mawile and Shinx were peering down an adjoining corridor as far as they eye could see and it was the only way out of the room. He peered up. Stretching out to cover the sky, he imagined he could still see snatches of the morning skies' blue through the thick expanse of foliage. But looking away, it was easy to forget that dawn was a few hours ago.

Mawile whistled, the sound echoing down the corridor. "So it begins," she muttered. Shinx went in front of her. Eevee padded after him and Mawile trudged behind the fox.

They hadn't gone far before they met opposition.

A growl echoed from both directions of the corridor. Mawile untied the Treasure Bag from her staff and dropped it beside Eevee, her jaws snapping in excitement. "If either one of them gets past us, that's your cue," Shinx growled, small sparks flying from his body as he bristled in readiness. "Make sure we don't get hit from behind."

"Okay." Eevee watched as both members of Team Blitz took a few steps away from him, giving him and themselves space to manoeuvre. There was silence, and then something lunged out at Shinx at the same time Mawile swept her staff up to knock away an attack from above, and the two were fighting. Light filled the corridor as Shinx zapped his opponent, a Poochyena, with a Thundershock, who squealed in pain, turned tail and ran. On Mawile's end there was the sound of a heavy thud, and then paws frantically carrying their owner away from the party.

Save for the Pokemon's heavy breathing, silence returned.

"Come on," Mawile said, picking up the Treasure Bag. "Let's hurry."

Eevee hesitated and nodded his assent. He turned to follow Shinx, who was already moving again. He tried not to think about how sudden the attack was, and how ferociously Team Blitz had replied in kind. Perhaps he had underestimated them, misjudged them.

"Your first time?" Shinx called out without looking at him.

"What?"

"Your first time? In a dungeon. I thought you said you were on a rescue team?"

"Oh, right." Eevee decided he might as well come clean. "Yes. I was on my first mission until I met you two." He fell silent, and as he padded after Shinx, he felt awkward now that he had made his confession. "How did you know?" He asked, trying to fill the silence for comfort.

"You were trembling," Mawile answered bluntly, startling him. "First-timers always get the shakes."

Eevee wanted to curl up into a ball and hide his face. He was glad neither of them could see it.

"Wait," Shinx suddenly hissed, throwing up his tail in warning.

Eevee came up short. They were in another room now. Shinx turned to him, and in doing so, he revealed that there was a staircase on the other end of the room.

There was also a sleeping Kangaskhan right next to it with a nest made from hay and autumn leaves.

"Slowly," Mawile hissed. "Don't get too close." Shinx was already edging along to the stairs, movements almost exaggerated in how gradually he chose where to place his steps. Eevee followed suit, watching that his paws didn't trip over any of the stray stalks or leaves.

They didn't make any sound, and Shinx was just about to take the first step down the stairs when from the Kangaskhan's pouch popped out the head of her offspring. It yawned, liked its lips, opened its eyes, and froze as it realised it was face to face with a Pokemon it had never seen before in its short life.

Mawile and Eevee froze.

Eyes widening, Shinx saw it opened its mouth to wail. "Leg it!" He shouted, and then he was disappearing down the stairs.

The Kangaskhan's eyes snapped open. It reared up, angry that its slumber was interrupted and its offspring was upset.

Still rooted to the ground, Eevee looked at Kangaskhan. Kangaskhan looked at him, and snarled, her offspring pulling itself back into its pouch. Eevee yelped in fright. Then he felt Mawile's hand grab his ear and yank him in the direction of the stairs. The pain bringing him to his senses, he scrambled towards them. Down he went as fast he as he could, and in the darkness, the stairs seemed to stretch out forever and ever and ever and-

* * *

 **(Dark Woods F2)**

Collapsing, Eevee panted, more out of relief than exertion.

"What a rush!" Shinx bound up to him and Mawile, beaming. "Really gets you warmed up, doesn't it?"

Mawile glared at Eevee. "What's the matter with you?" Her jaws snapped closed to his face, and he flinched and pulled away.

Shinx looked between the two of them, head swivelling rapidly, his smile falling. "Why, what he do?"

"He lost his nerve, that's what." Mawile stood up and picked up her staff and Treasure Bag. "Maybe it would be better if we send him back," she suggested crossly, glancing at the rescue badge pinned to Shinx's scarf.

Shinx stared at her, frowning. Then he turned his gaze to Eevee. "What do you think?" He asked. "Had enough?"

Eevee looked up at them, glancing at Mawile's angry expression and Shinx's thoughtful one. He could say yes. No shame in it. No matter what way he looked at it, he was woefully inexperienced and unprepared for the trials of this dungeons. It would be a burden off the minds of Shinx and Mawile. They won't have to worry about keeping him safe as they travel, and that gave them a better chance of finding Charmeleon.

But there was this little dream he had. A dream he thought about with every second that he was awake, and revisited when he wasn't. A dream which brought him to Green Hill. A dream that he was living right here and now. Granted, it wasn't exactly as he imagined it, but he knew right then, as scared as he was, that though he afraid, there was something worse than admitting to fear, and that was quitting.

"No," he heard himself blurt out, his mouth dry as his thoughts and misgivings continued to chase each other in his mind. "I want to keep going with you two."

Shinx nodded in approval. Mawile turned her head away in disgust. Her jaws opened up and blew a raspberry at Eevee. "He's going to get himself hurt," she muttered loudly.

"He is the client," Shinx pointed out cheerfully. "And the client is always right."

Mawile huffed. "Can't argue with that." She turned her glare onto Shinx now. "Which reminds me. What did you do?"

Now it was Shinx's turn to be dismayed. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, throwing up his paws defensively. "What did you think I do?"

"The Kangaskhan!" Mawile flinched as her yell echoed down the corridors. "Why'd you yell?" she hissed, grimacing at the unintended irony.

"The baby was going to cry," Shinx hissed back. "I wanted to give you two a warning!"

"Why'd you make it cry?"

"I don't know? Maybe it never saw anyone with my good looks before?"

"Now that's a joke if I ever heard one."

"Bite me."

"Maybe I will."

Eevee stood up unsteadily as the two went down into the corridor, still arguing in hushed whispers.

He wondered how Charmeleon was doing.

* * *

 **Dark Woods Glade**

A clearing surrounded by trees thicker and wider than he. An open canopy, where the sun's glow ruled for once instead of the darkness. Nowhere to run. No wings to fly. But as far as a place to make a stand, Charmeleon doubted he could have picked anywhere better.

Hunger pangs swelling again, he turned around as he heard the heavy steps of his pursuer and felt them shake the ground beneath his feet. Ironically, he had hoped that this dungeon would be much larger than it was; give him more floors to prolong this game of Rattata and Meowth. But he supposed he should consider himself lucky that he managed to stall him for even this long. "Any chance we could be reasonable?" He called out back into the darkness of the path he just took, hating how his voice trembled ever so slightly. "Resolve our differences and come to an agreement?"

There was a low growl in reply. "Very funny, but I'm afraid that is not going to happen."

"A shame. Because when you were chasing me for all this time, I was starting to wonder whether all this may just be some sort of misunderstanding." Charmeleon glanced around. The sun will help give life to his flame, and the grass of the clearing will do well as kindling. "Before we begin though, why don't you step out here and show me what you look like?"

The footsteps came closer. Slowly but surely a figure came into the light of the day, and looking up to the point he felt his neck crick just a little, Charmeleon realized just how tightly wound up he'd been since he had started running, and how glad he was that the chase had finally come to an end, even if the odds were more than a little unfair.

The roar blasted him back into a stagger, and it frightened a nearby flock of nearby Spearows into flight with a cacophony of screeching.

 _Alright_ , Charmeleon conceded as he steadied himself underneath the gaze of his opponent. They were very, very unfair. "Damn you're ugly," he muttered.

Standing tall, his figure casting a shadow over the clearing, the Tyranitar stepped forward. Strapped over his shoulder was a Treasure Bag of his own. From his hands hung several iron thorns, projectiles used by both rescue and explorer teams and occasionally the intelligent dungeon Pokemon. His armour gleamed in the sunlight, and his eyes glowed proudly with triumphant. "You want those to be last your words?" He asked.

"Let's find out!" Charmeleon snarled. He breathed in deep, snapped his snout forward and unleashed his fire.

The Tyranitar sidestepped the jet of flames and hurled his thorns, suddenly faster and more agile than his bulk would have one believe. But Charmeleon was already moving, head and torso weaving as the projectiles whistled past him to stick into the branches and trunks of the trees, ends shaking with the force of their thrower. Ducking low, Charmeleon scooped up a handful of soil and tossed it at Tyranitar's face. Tyranitar turned away but it got into his face nonetheless. Blinded, his next throw went wide, iron thorns skittering off a nearby boulder.

 _I can beat him_ , Charmeleon thought fiercely. He let the ember in his stomach grow and swell as he circled Tyranitar before making a decision and charging at his flank. At the last moment, Tyranitar pivoted and swept his tail out, and Charmeleon leapt over the blow and repeated his flamethrower. This time his aim was true, and as he landed and returned to circling him, Tyranitar thrashed about in the fire that swirled about him and seared his scales, pawing at his shoulder to ensure the flames didn't touch his Treasure Bag.

 _Got to go for the throat. Softest place to strike. Got to end this fast._ Charmeleon waited till Tyranitar threw himself to the ground and that's when he charged forward and leapt again, this time claws poised, and as he landed, he slashed.

His blow bounced off armour and leather. Looking up at him, arms crossed over his neck and face, Tyranitar grinned as Charmeleon's heart sank. "Not bad," the other Pokemon growled.

Then Charmeleon felt pain explode in his face as he was backhanded away. The world spinning, he tumbled away to abruptly crash against a tree trunk, his back flaring in response. Sliding down, he heard the Tyranitar stand up, and with a wheeze he struggled to his feet, scolding himself for being so foolish to think that this would be easy.

"Really," the Tyranitar continued conversationally. "Not bad at all." He glanced at his Treasure Bag, which had fallen off his shoulder to land on the ground beside him, the strap cut by Charmeleon's attack. He reached into it and fished out more iron thorns. "Try again."

Throat filling up again with fire, Charmeleon threw himself out of the path of the next throw, but even as he did so, pain spiked up his leg and he landed on his side with a gasp. The Tyranitar roared once and charged, and scrambling up, Charmeleon's eyes widened at how quickly the other Pokemon was closing the distance.

He shut his mouth and sneezed and from his nostrils billowed smoke instead of flames.

Blinded by the pitch-black fumes, the Tyranitar kept running and felt himself collide with something that was solid and held firm against the force of his charge. He turned around, unhurt, and swept his tail from side to side to fan the smoke away. Squinting through the haze, he saw the Charmeleon staggering to the Treasure Bag that Tyranitar had left on the other side of the clearing.

 _If I can just get to his bag, I might be able to find something I can use against him. An oran berry, a sleep seed, maybe even an escape orb._ Charmeleon heard the ground shake, and on instinct, he changed course and threw himself the other way. He was just in time, for as he did so, he heard the shower of boulders and rocks hurtle past where he would have been a few seconds later, crashing into the trees and throw up a cloud of dust.

Charmeleon felt something wet on his forehead. He felt for it and hissed. Blood. His blood, boiling hot to the touch. One of the rocks had nicked him. He reached towards his injured leg, and with a grunt, yanked out the iron thorn stuck in it.

The dust clearing, the Tyranitar stomped back into sight, deliberately choosing a path that put him closer to his Treasure Bag. Charmeleon stood up and roared his defiance. The Tyranitar paused, and then returned it, buffeting Charmeleon again with the force of it.

That was when something loudly and deeply grumbled.

Both Pokemon hesitated, and together, they turned to look towards the source.

The tree Tyranitar had rammed teetered on its foundations. Then, slowly but surely, it leaned backwards. Then forward. Then backward. Then forward, and kept going, falling across the clearing and between the two Pokemon, birds roosting within its foliage all taking flight at once in a panic.

Favouring his uninjured leg, Charmeleon clapped his hands over his hears before he heard the heavy thud of the tree landing. He stumbled for balance as the ground shook once more, but this time at a greater magnitude. He wasn't going to win this, he realised. Not even in peak condition. It just wasn't possible. If he wanted any chance of seeing tomorrow, he had to draw this out as long as he could, and hope that the help that arrives would be more than enough to take over for him.

Charmeleon readied himself as Tyranitar leapt over the fallen tree trunk and landed on his side of the clearing. "You destroyed my Treasure Bag," Tyranitar growled, tapping the surface of the trunk for reference. "You shall pay for that."

Charmeleon wiped his bloodied mouth with his arm and turned to spit out a glob of flame. "Now that you've brought that up. Let me ask you something, something that's been my mind all this time," he retorted. "Since you got one of those, I presume you're part of a team. Have I heard of it? Is this all part of some job?" When Tyranitar didn't answer, Charmeleon bared his teeth with anger. "Who hired you?" He shouted.

His words echoed around them, before giving way to an ugly silence.

"That's something you don't need to worry about," the Tyranitar finally answered, hunching forward in preparation to charge again. "Because what you need to worry about, is what is going to happen when I get my hands on you."

* * *

 **(Dark Woods F6)**

The whole dungeon rumbled.

"What was that?" Shinx asked sharply. Loose debris and dust fell from the walls and Mawile could be heard hissing in pain as she rubbed the top of her head.

"Charmeleon," Eevee answered. He was afraid now. He knew immediately from that sound that Charmeleon couldn't run anymore, and had to turn around to face his pursuer. "We have to hurry. He's out of time and so are we. How many floors does this dungeon have?"

"I don't know," Shinx answered, peering around a corner tentatively before proceeding. "But if Charmeleon managed to spend almost an entire night here, it's probably going to be a lot."

Eevee lowered his head at that. "How much is a lot?" He asked, dreading what the answer might be.

"Twenty? Ten? It depends on how long he spent wandering on each floor before he had to move on."

"Let's hope it's less than ten then," Mawile muttered from behind them both. "These labyrinths are becoming more complex than I had hoped. It's going to take us longer and longer to find the staircases."

Eevee's heart sank as he followed Shinx and saw how far the next corridor stretched out towards. They weren't going to make it in time, he thought with despair. If only Primeape wasn't such a slow eater. If only they hadn't had to spend so much time looking for Team Blitz, and then looking for directions to Dark Woods. So many ifs and could he should have paid more attention to, and because he hadn't, Charmeleon was going to suffer the consequences, and it was all his fault.

The dungeon rumbled again. This time the tremor was greater, the source much closer.

Shinx stiffened. "That wasn't Charmeleon," he said slowly, turning around to his teammates.

The three Pokemon came to a halt as the tremor faded. They waited, waited, and waited some more.

Then the wall next to them exploded, throwing dirt and rocks over them. Eevee peered up through the haze, and saw a Graveler step into the corridor, fixing him with a malignant gaze. Towering over him, it raised both its stony fists up.

The corridor was lit up with light. A bolt of thunder struck the Graveler from behind.

"Don't bother!" Mawile shouted. "He's ground-type! You're just making him mad!"

The Graveler pivoted towards its attacker. Shinx zapped him again, and then turned tail and ran around the corner. The Graveler wordlessly shouted in rage, and with long, lumbering footsteps, proceeded to chase the electric-type Pokemon, not even bothering to adjust its course and momentum such that it would avoid the corner, instead choosing to ram through it with its shoulder and arm. Then it was gone

"Shinx!" Eevee called out.

Shinx called back, but his words were lost in the sound of the footsteps of his pursuer. Eevee made to follow after him.

"No," Mawile said, halting him in his tracks. "We take another path."

Eevee spun around to face her, indignant. "But Mawile, we have to help him!"

"It's fine. He can take care of himself." Mawile waved towards the other direction of the corridor when he continued to stare at her. "Come on. He's buying us time, we must not let it go to waste." She gestured for him to follow her into the path that Graveler had made to get to them. Turned out that it had been in a room separated from the corridor by only a thin layer of rock, which it had rammed its way through. "What luck," she muttered. "We might have found a shortcut."

Eevee stared after her in disbelief. "Mawile?"

"What is it?"

"How can you just abandon your teammate like that?" Eevee stiffened as Mawile turned and shot him a surprised look, but pressed on. "What if that Graveler caught up to him? What if he needs our help? What if he…" He didn't whether he should call her callous or selfish or too trusting, so as he noticed how her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, he found that suddenly he had run out of things to say, and he let his voice trail off and broke off his gaze from her and looked elsewhere, suddenly wishing he hadn't ask all of that.

"You really are a complete novice at this, aren't you?" Eevee heard Mawile sigh and was perplexed to find no anger or irritation. Just puzzlement. "Look, come over here," she said. "I have something to show you." Eevee approached. "Eyes on me, please." Slowly, Eevee acquiesced and saw that she was opening her Treasure Bag and digging a hand inside, her brow furrowed in concentration as she rummaged around for what she was looking for. When she pulled it out, at first Eevee had no idea what to make of it. It was blue, spherical and as Mawile tossed it from hand to hand, he noted how it glowed whenever she touched it. Then he remembered, and suddenly he wished he hadn't been so forgetful. "Do you know what this is?" She asked.

"It's an orb," he answered quietly.

"Exactly." Mawile paused as another tremor shook the dungeon floor. "So I suppose you also know that one orb is not always like another and that they can only function inside dungeons for the most part." Eevee nodded. "So why don't you answer this for me: what is the most important thing to a rescue team?"

Eevee opened his mouth to answer, already recalling everything he knew about Orbs, and then he closed it.

"Good. I see that skull of yours isn't as thick as I thought." Another tremor. Mawile frowned and craned her head to listen. "If that keeps happening, it means that Shinx's doing just fine," she pointed out. "When it stops, that's when we have a problem. Now, where was I?"

"Most important thing to rescue team."

"Yes. Do you know what that is?" Mawile asked. Eevee shook his head. "Take a guess. You'll be no worse off than as you are now."

"The client?"

"…That might be second."

"Fame?"

"Nope."

"Money."

"Uh-huh."

"I give up."

Mawile sighed. "It's not really a hard question. The most important-" she broke off what she was about to say, her smile fading. "There's no tremor now," she said.

"You're right." Eevee felt his heart sank. He turned and ran out back into the corridor, and looked around the corner. Nobody there.

That's when he heard the sound of something shattering. He jerked his head in the direction of the source and saw the orb breaking like glass against the wall on the far side of the room. He turned towards Mawile who was still standing in mid-throw and was about to ask her what was going on, when he saw the light coming from the Orb out of the corner of his eye, and turned towards it instead.

The light spilt onto the ground, and then it rose and took a familiar form. Eevee couldn't help but gasp as he realised what was happening as just as quickly as the light came, it faded. "Mommy?" Shinx asked, standing front of them with both his paws over his face. "Is that you there in the light? Is this truly the end?"

"Alright you can cut that out," Mawile snapped impatiently, picking up her Treasure Bag.

Shinx removed his paw. "You really are no fun," he murmured. He looked at Eevee. "You're okay there? You look like you saw a Gengar, or a Togepi, or both."

"Don't mind him," Mawile broke in. "He's just emotional."

Shinx tilted his head to the side. "Huh." He turned his head and saw that Mawile was already leaving. "Come on," he said to Eevee. "Let's keep going. That Graveler's still around you know, and I don't think he took my sudden departure pretty well."

Eevee followed Shinx, a little dazed. As he did so, he began to eavesdrop, noticing for once that his companions were not bickering this time.

"So how many rollcall orbs do we have now?" Shinx asked.

"We don't have any more," Mawile replied. "That was our last one. So don't go pulling off any stunts like the one you just did."

"Is that your way of telling me that you care?"

"It's not that I don't like you. It's that I don't trust you."

Shinx snorted and shoved her from behind with his head. "Could have fooled me."

Mawile turned around and glared at him, and then noticed the look on Eevee's face. "Now what?"

"That question you asked me? You still haven't told me the answer yet."

Mawile blinked. "Oh yes, that's right." She furrowed her brow in thought. "I'm not telling. You'll just have to find out for yourself."

Eevee decided right there and then that he agreed with Shinx. She really was no fun.

* * *

 **I felt like I rushed this chapter, so I will probably come back at some point to touch it up a bit and rearrange the scenes. Hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Also, s** **tory's been renamed from Everyday Eevee to Rookie's Destiny.**


	6. Fiery Lights

**Dark Woods F8**

"There," Mawile said and stood back, examining her work with an air of approval. "That should do it."

Eevee nodded. "So let's go over this again. Why am I carrying the Treasure Bag on my back now?"

"We should be nearing the end of the dungeon at this point," Shinx explained. "Once we find Charmeleon, we're likely to also find that we have a fight on our paws." He glanced at Mawile. "And hands," he added snidely.

Mawile picked up her staff and whacked Shinx, eliciting a grunt of pain from him. "When we do," she said, taking over for her partner who rubbed his head with a grimace. "You'll only get in the way." There was no malice in her voice, but the bluntness of her tone cut at Eevee regardless. "So your job will be to get to Charmeleon and give him anything he needs from the bag, just like I showed you."

"I suppose that makes sense," Eevee admitted.

"Good." Mawile turned to the staircase and proceeded to walk down the first steps before disappearing from view. "See you on the next floor."

Shinx touched his tail to Eevee's shoulder in comfort. "Your job is just as important as ours," he said in passing and in understanding. "We're counting on you." Then he was disappearing down the stairs too.

Eevee looked around the room, now alone. He imagined what it must have been like for Charmeleon wander down here for the entire night, too frightened to stop and rest, and forced to scavenge for leftovers no matter how mean they may be. It was morning and the place was still quite dark, but with the coming of dusk again, Eevee fancied that one wouldn't be able to see even past his own limbs. Glancing upwards at the canopy which blocked out the sunlight almost completely, it occurred to him again that despite the many staircases he and Mawile and Shinx had descended down, they never really went down. It baffled him, and Mawile and Shinx's explanation with regards to the dungeon possessing sentience and having its own rules to which it was bound by instead of those of the world Pokemon knew outside the dungeon only confused him even more, to the point where he told them to stop making fun of him and that he was asking a serious question. To which they said they were serious too, and the conversation had died right then and there.

He was jolted out of his broodings as he heard the sound of heavy breathing coming down from the other side of the corridor, followed by inquisitive sniffing, and then a low growl as they detected the scent of Eevee. Eevee was taught that the deeper the growl, the greater the size of the Pokemon. Compared to Charmeleon when he was delivering a warning, this Pokemon was bigger.

Eevee gulped, and hurried down the stairs after Team Blitz.

* * *

 **Dark Woods Glade**

For a moment, when Eevee squinted at the light and felt the heat, he assumed he was under the sun once more.

Then he smelt the smoke and the ashes. Then he heard the roaring over the crackling of the flames and the sizzling and popping of bark and tree sap being incinerated. Then he saw the four Pokemon in the clearing gathered around the fallen tree trunk set ablaze, their silhouettes starkly outlined in the enormous pyre. That's when he started running to the one who was crumpled facedown and still, while the other two darted around the fourth, who loomed over the pair but raged as he could not seem to get a hold of either one of them.

His armour blackened from fire, Tyranitar turned and lunged for Shinx, who leapt out of his reach and lit him up with another thundershock for his trouble. He flinched, and then staggered forward as a staff bounced off the back of his head, hurled by Mawile. He turned again, and Shinx gave him another thundershock. The attacks only served to draw his ire, not hurt him, and they were working for the time being.

Eevee skidded to a halt in front of Charmeleon, hissing to himself as stray embers singed his fur. The heat was intense and Eevee could feel the stinging in his throat and chest from the inhalation of the smoke. "Charmeleon! Can you hear me?" He stiffened and broke out into a coughing fit. The other Pokemon didn't answer, his eyes closed, his chest all but still. Behind Eevee he could hear Shinx cry out in pain. He unstrapped the Treasure Bag from his back and started to rummage through it on the burnt up grass, hoping that Mawile and Shinx's diversion was still working as planned. He was surprised the thing wasn't on fire itself. That might have ruined everything.

With his head in the bag, his nose was pervaded with countless scents that were bitter, sharp, sweet, minty and all mixed together and threatening to overpower his sense of smell. He closed his eyes and tried to recall the scent that Team Blitz had showed to him to remember for this moment. _Where is it? Where is it? Where-there!_ He bit into it and dragged it out. _I hope I'm not too late_. He pried open Charmeleon's mouth with his paws and dropped the reviver seed in.

Something hit the dirt not too far from where he and Charmeleon was. He poked his head up and glanced and saw Shinx struggling to rise to his feet, face stricken with pain. There was a yelp of surprise and a moment later Mawile landed beside her partner in a backwards tumble, her jaws smearing the earth with blood. Eevee turned, and saw the Tyranitar staring at him, only a few footsteps away.

"There you are," the Pokemon growled with a glint in his eyes as they reflected the light of the firestorm around them all. "I was wondering when you might show up. Now you can die together."

Eevee stepped backward, shrinking under the gaze of the larger Pokemon. _I have to be brave,_ he thought to himself, but even as he did so, he felt his heart hammering in his chest and the fear swell within him. Bravery? What was that, but the idiocy of a fool ignoring the most basic of instincts? He flinched as Tyranitar snapped his head forward and roared, and Eevee closed his eyes in preparation for the blow that was about to follow.

It never came. Eevee felt the arm wrap around him and pull him further back, and heard the familiar roar which thundered from behind him in answer to Tyranitar's. Eevee looked up, and me Charmeleon's gaze.

"You took your sweet time," the red Pokemon growled. He turned his attention to Tyranitar. "We'll have to settle the score some other day!" he declared, stepping in front of Eevee.

Tyranitar narrowed his gaze, and then he stiffened. From behind Charmeleon, saw that he had reached with one hand into Team Blitz's Treasure Bag. "No!" Tyranitar shouted, lunging forward.

"Look away!" Charmeleon commanded, and Eevee realised he was speaking to him even as he obeyed, screwing his eyes shut as he heard the shattering of an orb and felt Shinx and Mawile press themselves tightly against him and Charmeleon. There was a rush of air in his ears, and then he heard the shrill and high-pitched whine, swiftly drowning out the sounds of the forest-fire. His head suddenly felt light-headed and for a moment, he swore he was flying.

Then there was a heavy, absolute silence.

* * *

Primeape heard the furious hammering on his front door, and the sound caused him to take the tail-end of the word he was scrawling all the way up to the bottom of the page with a startled flick of his wrist, the suddenness of the movement sending a jolt of pain up his shoulder. He cursed at the result and set his quill back into the inkpot before picking up his walking stick, standing up from his desk and leaving the study, resolving to give unexpected visitor a good whack in the head for catching and disturbing him at such a crucial moment as he stomped towards the door. "I swear," he grumbled under his breath. "Can't an old codger like me get any peace and quiet around here?"

In hindsight, he supposed he should have known better than to answer that question. His house was situated on the outskirts of Green Hill, and he was well-known among the residents for being a solitary and morose Pokemon, with a temper that was infamous even by the standards of Primeape. Peace and quiet was exactly what he had been given for almost every day. As he filled his lungs and threw open the door, prepared to bellow with all he got, whatever he was going to say died in his throat as he took in the sight before him and remembered that there was only one reason why he would be receiving more visitors today.

"Uh…hi," Shinx whispered in the sudden, awkward silence. "Can we come in?" He, Eevee and Mawile all looked up at him with weak smiles. Eevee's and Shinx's fur pelts were dishevelled and covered with scrapes. Mawile was bleeding from a cut above her eye and her jaws was drooping behind her disquietly, the fact that it had lost a tooth unbeknownst to even Mawile. All three were covered in soot and smelt like they had fallen into a bonfire.

Primeape hesitated, caught between rage and sympathy, and then he noticed the injured Charmeleon with the Treasure Bag in tow who had limped to a halt behind his three smaller companions and met his gaze with relatively less pleading and more irritation than the three. Primeape closed his mouth and sized up the other Pokemon, noting that he had more severe injuries, before coming to a decision with both irritation and resignation. "Alright, alright," Primeape muttered. "Hurry up inside then, would you?"

Shinx, Eevee and Mawile all beamed up at him ecstatically and started bombarding him with thank-yous and other such expressions of gratitude. Charmeleon snorted. It seemed he and Primeape were the only ones who weren't liking this development one bit. Primeape sighed, and stepped aside to let them all file in, watching carefully as each of them stopped to thoroughly scrape off the dirt and bits of crushed grass from under their paws and feet on the welcome mat before stepping inside.

He knew he should have stayed in bed today.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'll be taking some time to re-edit and rearrange the chapters again. I'll be also be adding more detail, world-building and lore etc, taking into account some of the critiques I have received from reviewers and private messages alike. This is so as to make the story flow better for future readers so that they may be more likely to continue reading.**

 **And before I forget, I want to thank rioluaura for taking some time to beta my story. You're the greatest :D**


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